Munish Sood
MANDI: In a strong rebuttal to allegations made during a live social media broadcast, senior BJP leader and Mandi MLA Anil Sharma has issued a video statement denying claims that he accepted a ₹1 crore bribe in connection with the ongoing construction of the Jalandhar-Mandi National Highway.
Terming the accusations as “fabricated, malicious and devoid of any factual basis,” Sharma announced he will be filing a defamation suit worth ₹20 crore and initiating an FIR against the journalist responsible.
Bribery allegations aired during NHAI inspection
The controversy erupted after a journalist went live on Facebook during an inspection by a team from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), which was in Mandi to assess public complaints about the quality of highway construction. During the broadcast, the journalist accused Sharma of accepting ₹1 crore in bribes from construction companies linked to the project.
In his video response, Sharma said, “The live video was nothing but a deliberate attempt to malign my reputation. The journalist was clearly seen provoking locals to make on-camera statements suggesting corruption, even though there was no evidence to support such claims.”
He said such unfounded and sensational accusations, made in the absence of any factual proof, amounted to character assassination and would be met with firm legal action.
Sharma, a veteran political figure who has served multiple terms as MLA and once as Member of Parliament, said that in his decades-long political journey, no allegations of corruption had ever been made against him.
“For over 30 years, I have maintained a clean record. No one has ever raised a finger at me,” Sharma asserted. “To level such a serious charge without any proof is not just unethical, but criminal,” he said.
Social activist’s name dragged into controversy
Sharma also raised objections to the inclusion of social activist and former Pro Vice-Chancellor of Sardar Patel University Anupama Singh in the narrative. According to the controversial report, the NHAI team’s visit to Mandi was portrayed as a direct outcome of Anupama Singh’s alleged formal meeting with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari in Delhi.
Sharma said he personally spoke with Anupama Singh, who clarified that while she did meet Gadkari informally during a public event, no official meeting took place, nor was any written representation submitted. “Portraying this casual interaction as an official complaint is deeply misleading,” Sharma said.
He further noted that Anupama Singh had circulated photographs in newspapers claiming she had formally discussed the Mandi-Dharampur road project with the Minister, which he called “false”.
No appointment with Gadkari or Nadda yet: Sharma
Highlighting his own efforts to escalate the issue, Sharma said he had written to Gadkari on November 12, 2024, requesting a formal meeting to discuss the road project. However, he has yet to receive a response. He later also approached BJP national president JP Nadda, but was similarly unable to secure a meeting.
“It is unfortunate that despite repeated efforts, I couldn’t convey the ground realities of this road project to our senior leadership,” he stated. Sharma also mentioned speaking with actress and BJP leader Kangana Ranaut during her visit to Mandi, who had offered to raise the matter with central authorities.
